Pile fabric and method of making same



M. G. CUR-ns 12,033,881 PILE FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME March l0, 19.36.

Filed Nov. 22, 1927 Cam/ig,

Patented Mar. l0, 1936 UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE MAKING SAME PILE FABRIC AND METHOD F Application November 22, 1927, Serial No. 235,059 E s claims. (ci. zs-i) e My invention is an improved pile fabric hav- ?.ing the loops of the pile enmeshed or interlocked tin the backing fabric or base and united thereto by a solidified pliable composition which firmly u "attaches the pile and reenforces the base, vand may render the basevimpervious to moisture, 1 without detracting from the appearance or feel i Mg. 4,3.

of the pile threads, which projectbeyond the surface vof thev coating composition. The pile may, if desired, be cut considerably shorter than is usually practicable. The adherent composition may be a quickly solidiable cellulose solution,

such as a viscose or pyroxylin compound, a rubber or rubber-and-glue solution, casein, or other agglutinant, and may be solidified by coagulation. vulcanization, heating or the like.- Preferably the composition is substantiallyvinsoluble after solidificationf and may be so colored as to give desired eects independently of or in conjunction with pile decoration resulting from printing, cutting, s ingeing, acid treatment or the like.

In the preferred practice of my invention, a double pile fabric, is woven quite loosely, `with relatively few picks or 4weft threads over which the pile warps are looped. The fabrics resulting from cutting apart such double fabric would ordinarily' be unsuited for any usual pile fabric use because of the shedding of the pile libres from the backing and the lack of firmness or body of thev latter. These objections are overcome and desirable products produced, in accordance with my invention, `by impregnating the backing with a suitable adherent composition as above described which forms an insoluble adhesive preventingV the dislodgement ofthe pile and reenforcing the backing fabrics. yThe pile may be split toseparate the `backing fabrics after the composition is solidified, or the splitting may be done before the impregnation takes' place.

JInstead of forming the pile from yarn or thread, Y

it may-.be formedl from filaments such as slightly twisted slivers or rovings resulting in tufts which Vwhen cut expand or spring out to form a close pile surface.

, The agglutinant composition may be applied to the base of the pile and tothe backing in any suitable way which will leave the tips of the piles free, as, for instance, by impregnating the backing by immersion in or contact with an agglutinant after the Vfabric has been woven, or

by coating the weft threads with a rapidly solidifying viscous agglutinant.

'The fabrics produced'may be'dyed or decorated by cutting, singeing or acid treatment in y nomically woven and impregnated with thev adany usual way and a back of suitable shade, texture and form provided by using an agglutinant of suitable color and composition.

My improved product is particularly adapted for upholstery and floor coverings and a leading object of my invention is the production of a pile fabric with the pile firmly secured to a backing having a minimum number of picks or weft threads, which can beA loosely, rapidly and ecoherent composition to strengthen the backing and unite the pile base thereto while leaving the pile tips free. A further object'of my invention is to produce a pile fabric from which the pile advantages and characteristics of my inventionr will appear from the following description'of illustrative embodiments of my invention and the accompanying diagrammatic drawing in illustration thereof.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 illustratesdiagrammatically a double pile fabric embodying my invention and which is being split to form pile fabric such as'illustrated in Fig. 2; Fig. 3 illustrates diagrammatically a fabric embodying my improvements and having uncut 'from warps 4, 5 and wefts 6 and connected by pile warps l and 8 looped over the weft threads 3 40 and 6. The tips of the bights of the pile loops form small elevations, knobs or knots, which for lack of a better termmay be called nodules, which are suiilcientlvnunierous and close together to give a roughened or granulated effect to the back. Ofv course, the weaving may be done in any manner desired to form a pattern or the like by floating any of the warps at desired intervals. In orderto decrease thenumber of weft threads and increase the output, the weft threads may be beaten up quite loosely so that the wefts are relatively widely spaced and the pile warps are but loosely bound by the engagement of the threads so that such fabrics lacking an adhesive composition are unfit for dyeing or nishing.

30 loops woven therein, as in terry cloth or some e The pile warps are, however, rmly xed to the backing fabrics by an adherent composition applied to the weft threads during weaving or to the backing fabrics after weaving. and which permeates the backings so that when the composition solidies it forms a flexible tenacious layer or bed9 securely embedding the looped pile threads without obliterating the nodules formed by the tips of the bights thereof, uniting the pile to the base fabrics and permitting the fabrics to be cut apart by a cutter I 0, handled and ldyed without shedding fibres. As shown in Fig. 2, the resultant products have their pile extending above the backing and from the bed of impregnating material to form a pile which may be out very short and is securely held against dislodgement. The protuberance of the tips of the pile bights from the general level of the surface of the bed 9, and preferably through such bed, gives the product a textile feel and appearsince the roughness caused ance on the back, by the protuberances or nodules is not obliterated or substantially obscured by the substance permeating the backing, and the textile characteristics of the product are impaired but slightly, if at all, since the bed 9 lies primarily in the interstices of the ground yarns and its bottom surface lies above the tips of the pile bights, when the fabric is consideredl as lying with its cut pile face upward.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, a single pile fabric is formed by weaving pile loops II around the weft threads I2 of a loosely woven backing and are secured in place by a solidiflable adherent substance I3 securely attaching the bottom of the pile loop to the backing fabric lsuch substance forming a bed lying principally Within the thickness of the fabric as measured from its cut face to the tips of the pile bights. Thel outer loops may be left uncut, or may be cut by a pile wire, or by a machine in a usual manner to form a pile surface.

Fig. 4 illustrates diagrammatically a split pile fabric having the pile formed of tufted filaments I4 produced by utilizing slightly twisted slivers or rovings as pile warps. The tufts are looped over' the spaced wefts I5,of a loosely woven backing and are secured in place by -a solidiiiable adherent layer or bed I6, which may be applied while suilciently fluid to impregnato the backing and leave the tips of the pile bights projecting to form a rough or nodulated back.

Having described my invention, I claim:

` l. A pile fabric having a nodulated back and comprising a loosely woven backing, pile threads bights on the other side of said backing producing a nodulated surface, and a bed of normally insoluble pliable adherent substance in said backing and binding together said backing and pile, the tips of said pile bights protruding from said bed and the protuberance of such tips giving a textile feel to the back of the fabric which is not obliterated by said substance.

2. A` pile fabric having ground yarns forming a loosely woven backing including wefts, pile warps forming V-pileon said wefts, and a bed of normally insoluble pliable adherent substance permeating said backing' and binding together said backing and pile, said bed lying within the thickness of the fabric as measured from its pile face to the tips of the bights of the pile Vs, and such land solidifying said tips of the pile bights projecting from said bed and forming a nodulated surface giving to the back of the fabric a textile feel which is not obliterated by said substance.

3. A pile fabric having a nodulated back and comprising a loosely woven backing, pile warps woven through said backing and having cut ends expanded to form a close pilesurface, said pile warps forming Vs having bights projecting from said backing'opposite to said pile surface, and a bed of pliable adherent substance binding together said backing and pile, said bed lying within the thickness of the fabric and having its lower -surface broken by the tips of the pile bights and disposed above such tips when the fabric is considered as lying with its cut pile face upward, the protuberance of said tips giving a textile appearance to the back of the fabric which is not oby literated by said substance.

4. In the manufacture of pile fabrics, the stepsI which consist in simultaneously fabricating a backing and pile loops having bights forming a nodulated surface on said backing, then permeating said backing with an adherent substance, substance into a pliable bed in said backing which`does not obliterate the tips of said pile bights, such tips projecting from said bed to form a nodulated surface.

5.' In the manufacture of pile fabric, the steps which consist in loosely weaving a backing and simultaneously forming pile loops therein having bights forming with said backing a nodulated surface, permeating said backing with an adherent substance, solidifying said substance into a pliable bed in said backing and from which bed the nodules comprised in said surface project, and dyeing and finishing the pile after the solidification of said bed.

6. A pile fabric having ground yarns forming a loosely Woven backing containing wefts, Warp pile threads looped through said backing over each weft and forming bights on one side and projecting pile ends 0n the opposite side of said backing, said backing being too loosely Woven to formed by the permeated yarns of said backing.

7. A V-Weave warp pile fabric having a backing formed of interlaced ground warps and wefts, V- pile tufts looped over each of said wefts and forming bights on one side and projecting cut ends on the opposite side of said backing, said i backing being too loosely Woven to alone rmly hold said warp pile loops for any usual pile fabric use, and a normally insoluble, flexible, adherent material permeating said ground yarns and securing said warp pile threads to said backing, said bights forming a perceptibly nodulous surface which is not obliterated by said adherent material.`

8. A pile fabric having a loosely `woven backing, pile tufts formed of slightly twisted fibres which when cut expand or spring out to form a close pile surface, saidv backing being too loosely woven to alone firmly hold 4said pile tufts, and a normallyv insoluble, flexible, adherentv material permeating lsaid backing and tufts and securing said tufts to said backing, said tufts forming projecting bights on the back of the finished fabric.

MELVILLE G. CURTIS. 

